Internal combustion engine



Nov. 25, 1958 A. K. ANTONSEN ETAL 2,851,555

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 24, 1957 Nov. 25,1958 AN TQNSEN ETAL 2,851,555

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 24, 1957 INVENTORSANA 5.? K ANTGIVO'EN 55 BY Mnrzwik/ Z. 5e04, 6 5 6151/6 /o 4,V

Nov. 25, 1958 A. K. ANTONSEN ETAL 55 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FiledMay 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS United States Patent INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE Anker K. Antonsen and Matthew L. Foreman, Beloit,Wis., assignors to Fairbanks, Morse & Co., Chicago, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application May 24, 1957, Serial No. 661,399 9 Claims. (Cl.12341.86)

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and moreparticularly to improved means for engine crankcase scavenging andremoval of moisture from the engine air supply manifold means.

The principal object of the invention is to afford means including anejector type device in operative association with the engine crankcaseand activated by air at above atmospheric pressure from the engine airsupply manifold, for scavenging the crankcase of gases andcoincidentally removing condensed moisture from the engine air manifold.

This and other objects and advantages of the present invention willappear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof,as such is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an engine, shown somewhatdiagrammatically, to which the invention hereof is applied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary top view of the engine at the lefthand end thereof as viewed in Fig. 1, showing certain details of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary end view of the en- 'gine at the lefthand end as in Fig. 2, showing details of the invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary side view of the engine adjacent theaforesaid left hand end thereof, showing the ejector device in sectionand illustrating other details of the invention, this view being takenalong line 44 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the engine, asviewed from line 5-5 in Fig. 1, showing the combustion air manifolds,and the air supply duct including intercooler means associated with themanifolds, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section (with parts thereof inelevation) in the region at the left hand end of the engine as shown inFig. 1, showing the upper and lower crankcase zones and theintercommunication of such zones.

Referring first to Fig. l, the engine there somewhat diagrammaticallyillustrated in side elevation, is a multicylinder, opposed piston dieselengine having upper and lower crankshafts wherein only the power outputend 10 of the lower crankshaft is shown. In such engine, the upper andlower crankcase zones, see Fig. 6, are in relative communication. By wayof example only, this relationship is indicated by the horizontal,double broken line 11 which may represent the top of the lower crankcasechamber, the similar horizontal, double broken line 12 which mayrepresent the bottom of the upper crankcase chamber, and the verticaldouble broken .line 14 therebetween, indicative of an interior enginespace to the left thereof as viewed in Fig. 1, intercommunicating thecrankcase chambers. The latter space is shown in part, at 15, in Fig. 4,and again in Fig. 6, and it is common to the upper and lower crankcasechambers. The present crankcase gas scavenging provision, to bedescribed more fully hereinafter, is applied to the space 15 as shown inFigs. land 4.

As more particularly appears in the fragmentary longitudinal sectionalview of the engine according to Fig. 6, the bottom wall of the uppercrankcase zone 12a isat 12b (this wall also appearing in Fig. 5), suchwall being denoted diagrammatically at 12 in Fig. 1. The top wall of thelower crankcase zone 11a is at 11b, this wall being that intended by thedouble broken line showing 11in Fig. 1. Between the crankcase walls 11band 12b is an internal transverse wall structure including wall portions14a and 14b (denoted as a whole in Fig. 1 by broken line 14), whichdefines with adjacent portions of the engine frame the heretofore notedspace 15 which is open to the upper and lower crankcase zones 12a and11a, through suitable engine frame openings certain of which are shownat 15a in. Fig. 6. I

In the present example, the indicated engine is of superchargedcharacter, including an engine exhaust gas driven turbine 16 driving acompressor 18 delivering air for engine cylinder scavenging andcombustion air charging, at above atmospheric, supercharging pressure.Air intake to the compressor 18 may be directly from the atmosphere orfrom the discharge (not shown) of an engine driven blower indicated at19 at the left hand end 20 of the engine. The latter may be driven fromthe upper crankshaft, shown at 13 in Fig. 6, through a reduction gearunit 22. Pressure air from the compressor 18 is supplied by way ofsupply conduit 23 and a suitable heat exchanger or intercooler 24, tothe engine air manifold means. The manifold means includes chambers 26and 27 extending horizontally along opposite sides of the engine, assuch are indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 by the respective broken lines 28and 30 and as shown in section in Fig. 5. These chambers whichcommunicate with and supply pressure air to the intake ports of theengine cylinders (as the air ports 25 in cylinder 29 shown in Figs. 5and 6), have the bottom wall portion 31 (Fig. 4)- of each thereof,downwardly inclined to the end wall 32 at the end 20 of the engine. Inaddition, the manifold chamber 26 has a lateral extension indicated bythe wall element 34, the latter having a horizontal bottom wall portion35 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Similarly, the other manifold chamber 27has a lateral extension indi cated by the wall element 36, whichprovides a like horizontal bottom wall indicated at 38 in Figs. 3 and 5.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, combustion air. supply underpressure in conduit 23, passes through intercooler 24 into the manifoldextension 34, and thence through openings (one shown at 34a) into themanifold chamber 26. From manifold 26 the combustion air is deliveredthrough openings (one shown at 26a) into engine frame passages, as thepassage 37 leading to the air ports 25 of cylinder 29, forair deliveryto the cylinder air ports. Each such passage 37 extendscircumferentially about the associated cylinder and to the opposite manifold chamber 27 in like manner, so that combustion air under pressureappears in both manifolds 26 and 27, as

well as in the extension 34 and 36, for distribution to the cylinder airports of all cylinders.

Turning now to the improved crankcase scavenging provision hereof,suitably carried at the end 20 of the engine is an ejector device 39.The device includes a tubular casing 40 having an outwardly flaringdischarge end portion 42, forming a venturi passage 43 therein having aventuri throat zone 44. Projecting axially in the passage 43 is a nozzle46 having its open end 47 opening to the venturi throat zone 44, and itsopposite end communicating with a conduit 48 through a fitting 50. Thesuction intake to passage 43 is provided by a lateral casing passage 51as shown, which is connected by an elbow conduit 52 through the engineside wall 54.

3 (Figs. 2 and 4), to the outlet end 55 of a suitable oil separator 56arranged in the engine space 15 with its intake end 58 exposed thereinfor receiving crankcase gases.

The conduit 48 extends "from fitting 50 toward the engine end 20, andthence transversely of the engine adjacently along the bottom edge ofthe engine end wall 32 (Fig. 3). Included in the conduit are T-fittings59 and 60, the fitting 59 being located therein to have its leg 62 inthreaded reception through the Wall 32 and opening to the low zone 63(Fig. 4) of the inclined bottom wall portion 31 of air manifold chamber26. The other fitting 60 is located to have its leg 64 (Fig. 2)similarly disposed with respect to the low zone of the inclined bottomwall (not shown) of the opposite air manifold chamber 27, as this isindicated more particularly by Fig. 3. While the bottom wall of each airmanifold chamber may be horizontal throughout or substantially so, anadvantage is secured by inclining the portion 31 thereof downwardlytoward the engine end wall 32 as herein shown and described, whereby toform the low zone 63 serving as a collector or sump zone for moisturecondensing in the manifold. Moisture so collecting therein, will beremoved by the action of the ejector device as will appear presently.

Connected to fitting 60 as by a reduction fitting element 66 affording arestricted opening, is a conduit member 67 of an internal diametersubstantially less than that of the conduit 48 (preferably in a diameterratio of the order of 1:2). The conduit member 67 extends to a suitablepoint below the bottom wall 38 of the manifold extension 36, and is-openat 68 to the extension interior at the inner surface of the bottom wall,through an elbow connection 70 (Fig; 3). In like manner, a similar smalldiameter conduit member 71 extends from fitting 50 (shown as aT-fitting) and communicating therewith through a restricted openingprovided at the fitting, toward the bottom wall 35 of air manifoldextension 34, and includes an elbow connection 72 open at 74 to theextension interior at the inner surface of wall 35 (Fig. 4).

The crankcase gas scavenging provision as now described, is activatedcontinuously during operation of the associated engine, by enginemanifold air at above atmospheric pressure or at an appreciable,supercharging pressure as in the given engine example, which may be inthe pressure range of 6 to pounds or more. In the system shown, pressureair from the engine manifold chambers 26 and 27 enters the conduit 48through the respective fittings 59 and 60, and flows therein to thenozzle 46. Such air under pressure flow and issuing from the nozzle,passes through the venturi passage 43 and through a discharge conduitshown in part at 76 which leads to a suitable zone of discharge (notshown) away from the engine. The air flow through the venturi passageproduces suction in the intake passage 51, which is reflected in theengine crankcase communicating space in the region thereof adjacent theintake end 58 of the oil separator 56, with the result that the venturidevice as so activated, effectively aspirates gases from the enginecrankcase regions. It is pointed out here that in engines of thecharacter'illustrated, the volumetric supply of pressure air in theengine manifolds is ample or more than sufiicient for cylinderscavenging and combustion air charging under maximum air requirementsof-the engine. Hence, the continuous removal or bleed off of pressureair from the manifolds for activation of the crankcase gas scavengerdevice, will not in any degree adversely affect engine supply of air.

As hereinbefore indicated, the crankcase scavenger provision has a dualpurpose and function, i. e., removal of crankcase gases and removal ofcondensed moisture from the engine air manifold system. The latter isattained in respect to the manifold chambers 26 and 27, by the describedlocation of the fittings 59 and 60 such that-eachis open to the low zoneof the associated chamher, being at the bottom of the inclined manifoldchamber wall portion 31 (Fig. 4). Thus, moisture condensing on themanifold wall surfaces and collecting at the low point or zone 63afforded by the inclined wall 31, will be drawn out through theassociated fitting 59 (and 60) with pressure air flow to the ejectordevice, and be discharged through the latter along with crankcase gases.

In addition, condensed moisture collecting on the bottom wall 38 of themanifold extension 36, is removed therefrom through elbow 70, conduitmember 67 and fitting 69 to the air conduit 48. Since the pressure ofthe air entering fitting 60 and that of air entering elbow 70 aresubstantially equal, reverse flow as from fitting.

60 through conduit 67 and elbow 70, will not occur. The direction offlow, from these parts then, is along conduit 48 to and through theejector device. Moreover, by providing the conduit 67 of a diametersmaller than that of the conduit 48, with the indicated restrictedopening thereof to the fitting 60, pressure air flow from the manifoldthrough fitting 60 to conduit 48, tends to create a pressure drop orsuction effect in conduit 67, which assists moisture removal asdescribed. Moisture removal from the bottom wall 35 of the othermanifold extension 34 obtains in like manner, through the connectionprovided by conduit member 71 and elbow 72.

Having now described and illustrated a presently preferred form of theinvention, it will appear that the scavenging provision affords byejector action motivated by pressure air taken from the engine airmanifold system, both scavening of crankcase gases and removal ofcondensed moisture from the engine air manifolds, effectedcoincidentally and in positive manner. It is to be understood, moreover,that while the gas and moisture scavenger is herein disclosed inassociation with a diesel engine of opposed piston, two-crankshaft type,the scavenger may be applied advantageously to any engine supplied withcylinder scavenging and charging air at above atmospheric pressure, andhaving a crankcase or crankcase zones to .be gas scavenged.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand air manifold means for cylinder supply of combustion air at aboveatmospheric pressure, an air pressure activated gas ejector incommunicat on with the engine crankcase, and conduit means connectingsaid ejector to the air manifold means.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand including air manifold means extending longitudinally of the enginefor cylinder supply of combustion air at above atmospheric pressure, anan pressure activated gas ejector in communication with the crankcase,and conduit means between said ejector and a low point of said manifoldmeans.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand including air manifold means horizontally along each side of theengine for cylinder supply of combustion air at above atmosphericpressure,

an air pressure activated gas ejector communicating with the crankcase,and conduit means extending from the ejector to connection with each ofthe manifold means at a low point thereof.

4. In combination with a supercharged internal combustion engine havinga crankcase and including air manifold means along" each side of theengine for cylinder supply of combustion air at super-charging pressure,an air pressure activated gas ejector providing a venturi passage andnozzle therein, conduit meanscommunicating said venturi passage andcrankcase, and conduit means connecting said nozzle to each of said airmanifold means. 7

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand air manifold means horizontally along the engine'for cylinder supplyof combustion air at above atmospheric pressure, wherein the manifoldmeans includes chamber meansprojecting laterally of the engine, an airpressure activated gas ejector communicating with the crankcase, firstconduit means connecting said ejector to the manifold means, and secondconduit means between said first conduit means and said chamber means.

6. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase, and providingair manifold means horizontally along the engine including a manifoldextension laterally of the engine, for cylinder supply of combustion airat above atmospheric pressure, the combination therewith of an airpressure activated gas ejector having a venturi passage vincommunication with theengine crankcase and providing a discharge outlet,the ejector including an air nozzle in the venturi passage openingtoward the discharge outlet, first conduit means connecting said nozzleto said manifold means at a low point thereof, for supplying air undermanifold pressure to the nozzle to activate the ejector, and secondconduit means between said first conduit means and a low point in saidmanifold extension.

7. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and manifoldmeans for cylinder supply of combustion air at above atmosphericpressure, wherein the manifold means includes a main manifoldhorizontally along the engine and a manifold extension having ahorizontal bottom wall, the combination therewith of an air pressureactivated crankcase gas ejector comprising a venturi passage having anoutlet, an air nozzle in the passage opening toward said outlet, and aninlet to the passage, means communicating said ejector inlet with theengine crankcase, conduit means between said nozzle and said mainmanifold at a low point thereof, for air pressure delivery to the nozzleto activate the ejector, and a conduit element open at one end to saidmanifold extension through said bottom wall thereof, said conduitelement having its opposite end in communication with said conduitmeans.

8. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and manifoldmeans for cylinder supply of combustion air at above atmosphericpressure, wherein the manifold means includes a main manifold extendinghorizontally along the engine and a horizontally extending manifoldextension laterally of the engine having a bottom wall, the combinationtherewith of an air pressure activated gas ejector comprising a venturipassage having a discharge outlet, an air nozzle in the passage openingtoward said outlet, and a passage inlet, means connecting said inlet tothe crankcase for delivery of crankcase gases to said passage, conduitmeans between a low point of said main manifold and said nozzle for airpressure delivery to the nozzle to activate the ejector, saidconduitmeans including a fitting having a restricted opening, and aconduit element communicating said restricted opening with said manifoldextension through said bottom wall thereof.

9. In an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and manifoldmeans for cylinder supply of combustion air at above atmosphericpressure, wherein the manifold means provides a main manifold chamberlongitudinally of the engine and a chamber extension laterally of themain chamber, the combination therewith of an air pressure activatedejector in gas scavenging communication with the crankcase, conduitmeans of given diameter connecting the ejector to said main manifoldchamber for supplying pressure air to activate the ejector, and aconduit element of a diameter less than that of said conduit means, inrestricted opening to said conduit means and extending to communicationwith said chamber extension.

No references cited.

